A Thousand Ways to Say I Love You
by PerryGirl110
Summary: A collection of Auslly packed oneshots, all based off a single word for every letter of the alphabet. Each and every oneshot will be VERY different, but they'll all have one thing in common. They'll make you drown in feels ;). Please read and review :D :D :D
1. Award

**Hey everybody! It's PerryGirl, back again for the book of oneshots I promised. If you already know me from some of my other fics, then hi again! If you've never heard of me before then you're probably really confused right now... but hi to you, anyway! **

**Ok, so this particular fic requires a little bit of explaining. So the thing is, this is going to be a book of oneshots that are each going to be inspired by a single word. And the words are going to go in alphabetical order. For example: Apple, Baby, Curls, Dating, and so on. I think of the word first, and then I write what it brings to mind. I thought it would be more fun this way. If you want, you guys can give me suggestions on what word you want me to use next chapter, though there's no guarantee I'll use it. Today's word is: award.**

**This fic is unique in the way that i'm going to try a bunch of different writing styles. I'll go from the fluffiest fluff you can think of, to something a little more emotional and deep and loving. Maybe even a little touch of anguish if I feel the need. Just a way for me to keep things a little more interesting. So if you're someone who only likes fluffy, I hope I'm not disappointing you.**

**Well, enough talk. Let's begin!**

* * *

**AWARD**

She couldn't possibly imagine things going any better.

The lights. So bright, so colorful, so lively. They burned her eyes, singed her sockets. But somehow she found herself loving that burn. It made her feel alive.

The dress she wore was tight around her waist. It dug into her sides like a cobra around its victim, but still she kept smiling. Smiling that pearly, award-winning smile—that everyone seemed to love so much—right through the cramps in her stomach. And it wasn't even a forced smile, either. She was really, truly happy. Happy. When was the last time she could honestly say that?

In all definitions of the term, everything was perfect. Trish had told her that it would be, but she had doubted. And who could blame her? She didn't want to get her own hopes up. Didn't want to excite herself only to be disappointed moments later. But now she could see the truth, and she loved it. She could have expected angles to come down from the heavens and carry her away on a bed of fluffy, golden clouds, and STILL she wouldn't have been disappointed. Perfect. It was all too perfect.

"Are you excited, Ally?"

Trish's voice, usually firm and demanding, was now full of an energy completely new to her. It was so excited, so joyous. It was almost as if her voice itself was glowing. Shining like the brightest star in the darkest night. Ally couldn't get enough of it.

"Of course!" the woman screamed back, trying to be heard above the roar of the crowd, "I don't think I could possibly get any MORE excited!"

Trish smiled at her, and Ally smiled back with just as much enthusiasm. It was really happening, wasn't it? Really, truly happening. And it just hit her now.

Ally looked all around the room. Everything just looked so… unbelievable. She really couldn't believe it. All around her sat thousands and thousands of impossibly beautiful people, talking and joking and smiling like perfectly normal human beings. And nearly all of them within an a hundred feet radius she recognized. They were the people she'd seen on her TV, looked at on her computer, and heard on her radio since she was a little girl. The people who used to sit and smile at her from the posters on her wall, wearing pretty little dresses or spiffy black suits like they were made for the spotlight. And they were all here, with her. No, that's not right. They weren't with her, she was with them. She was one of them now.

That thought suddenly sent a spark of thrill running down her spine. She jumped nervously, and Trish gave her a strange, steady look.

"You alright, Ally?" she asked for what must have been the thousandth time, "You look a little jumpy."

"I just… can't believe this is really happening," she moaned between her strawberry lips, "It all seems like a dream, or something. Like I'm going to wake up and still by a star-struck teenage girl with stage fright."

Trish laughed. A lush, mature laugh that Ally would have once never believed had come from the girl's big, childish mouth. She can still barely manage to grasp how much her manager had grown over all the years, both physically and mentally. Now 25 years on age, cutting close to 26, she had really managed to straighten out the rough corners of her rocky career life. Of course, she was still the crazy, bossy Trish that Ally knew and loved, but progress was progress. The girl had grown up. And she had, too.

"Don't worry about anything, Ally," the Latino assured her, squeezing her hand lightly to calm her tingling nerve, "This is all REALLY happening, you can trust me on that one. Now stop worrying so much. Let's have fun!"

For half and hour after that, the young women talked and giggled like best friends always do, acting once again like the little girls they used to be so long ago. Some things never change, Ally realized with a smile and a cute little giggle. And some things do. Some things change far too quickly, without even giving you a chance to hold on.

Ally gulped. She had absolutely no idea where that thought had come from, but now that it had appeared, she knew that she would not be able to shake it. Of course, things changed, she knew that. But why that thought had come to her in the middle of the biggest day of her entire life, she had no idea. If at all, that thought should have had a positive influence on her mind, reminding her how much her life has gone uphill since her lonely, shallow teenage years. But still, it somehow managed to leave her with a bitter taste in mouth. Like something wasn't quite right about the life she was living. Like something was missing.

His face flashed across her mind far too quickly for her to stop it. She tried hard to push it from her brain, but she knew deep down that it was forever imprinted there. Like a tattoo made from permanent ink. She could try all she wanted to scrub it away from her once untainted skin, but no amount of soap and water would ever send it swimming down the drain. That's just the way tattoos are. At first when you get them, you love them. The design seems to match your personality, the person who you are inside, nearly perfectly. It all just screams you. But as you grow up, start discovering more of yourself and leaving behind the parts of your life that no longer seem to fit, you find that its more of a curse than a blessing. It just sits there, eternally staring at you, silently reminding you of all that you want to forget about who you used to be. It never goes away.

He was her tattoo.

Almost as if she had waited for Ally to make this exact discovery, Trish suddenly spoke up, excitement building in her voice.

"It's starting, it's starting!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Clearly, she was not the only one who noticed. All around them were the sharp voices of thousands of screaming humans, ringing along nicely to the deep rhythm of the sound of hands clapping and feet stamping. It was time now. There was no denying it.

Ten thousand pairs of eyes watched as a skinny-as-a-twig woman and an obviously-goes-to-the-gym-ten-times-a-week man walked on stage. They had large, phony smiles stretched across their flawless, make-up covered faces, and their voices were as lively as the lights. Ally was barely listening as the two of them began to talk, announcing the annual show as though it were some gift from the gods. Trish was watching the two in rapt attention, but Ally was already beginning to drift. All she could think of was that face. It still lingered in her mind, swimming through her memories like a beautiful swan in a murky, polluted lake. She simply couldn't concentrate like this. Not at all.

Austin. The name that went with the face. She'd given up trying to hold it back any longer. It'd been tugging at her memory strings for far too long to bother anymore. Austin. It was time for her to stop pushing that name away. It was time for her to embrace it. Embrace it so that she could forget it, for real this time. Because if there' was one thing she knew for sure, it was that Austin was gone from her life. Gone for good.

Just then, the couple standing on stage stopped their mindless chatter and finally reached the important part of the show. Ally could feel the tingling of excitement travel through the crowd, almost as if it were an actual, physical thing.

"And the nominations are…" the woman began, her voice cheery and melodious through her cherry-red lips. She laid out a long list of names, each one met with a picture on screen as the person in question stood up, smiling in the spotlight. This award had something to do with the top male actor of the year, so honestly, Ally couldn't care less. She just sat there, paying attention out of nothing more than respect. When the woman on stage was finished talking, it was the man's turn to speak.

"And the winner is…" he said, opening up a card. For a long moment, everybody was silent. Deathly, deathly silent. It was almost eerie how quiet a room full of so many people could be. Almost… unnatural.

As soon as the name was announced, a man Ally recognized as being the teenage heartthrob of the generation, stood up to receive his award. Ally applauded with the rest, but already she could feel her mind drifting back to where it had originally fallen. She gulped as her memories flashed back across her mind.

* * *

Austin. Bleach blond hair. Brown, puppy dog eyes. A smile on his face that made her feel as if she were the only girl in the world. Or at least the only one that mattered.

It started out as a simple partnership, it really did! The two of them, a boy and a girl, a rocker and a writer. The perfect team, the perfect match. Back then Ally had been painfully awkward. A girl with big dreams, but a small self esteem. She was kind, yet annoyingly goody-two-shoes. Always following the rules or creating her own. Sometimes she wondered how in the world she and that bossy, loud-mouthed Trish ever became friends to begin with. She questioned it, but she sure was glad that it happened.

Austin began it all with an act of such rash, stupid clumsiness she could barely believe it possible. He, somehow—she still doesn't really understand it—managed to accidently steal her song. Back then it had seemed like the absolute worst thing in the entire world to happen to the girl. Now she merely laughed at it. She had so many songs, she probably wouldn't even notice if someone swiped a dozen of them.

After a whole big thing, one she was far too impatient to go into details thinking about, the two finally made amends by deciding to become partners. Ally could still remember the moment that he finally asked her. The words had come out of his mouth as real and true as she could imagine, yet still she couldn't believe them. It was the way he looked at her, really, that took her off guard. As if she were the most holy, beautiful creature that had ever breathed a breath of life. As if she really, truly mattered. At the mere age of fifteen, she couldn't recall having ever been looked at this way before. It made her feet tingle and her face flush red. And so, of course, she said yes. Just said yes. And the rest is history.

For a long while they were friends. Just friends. Or at least that's what they told themselves. They'd do their homework together, spend all-nighters working on songs in Sonic Boom, even leave their stuff over at each other's houses. In all definitions of the term, they were inseparable. The best of buddies. But of course, all things change. And this was no exception.

She fell first. Or at least, she was the first one who realized it. Not long after, so did he. They got together. Then broke up. Then got together again. And, inevitably, broke up. It was complicated. Confusing. A complete maze of emotions. But that was probably why she liked it so much. The fact that they neither really knew how their relationship would turn out made the time they spent together even more exhilarating. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't in love. Or at least a hyped-up, bone-chilling teenage drama sort of love. But wasn't that the best kind?

For a moment, Ally closed her eyes. She took a deep breath of air, letting in an intoxicating mix of aromas. Several popular brands of perfume. Some type of expensive, luxurious skin cream. Sweat and heat from the wide variety of bodies crammed together like sardines in a can. Spray tans, deodorant, after-shave, lipstick. And, strongest of all, the smell of excitement. And boy did it smell could.

Somehow, it brought back memories. Memories stronger than anything she'd ever experienced before. It's not the first flashback she's ever had, but she sure does hope that it'll be her last…

* * *

"_Hey Ally, guess what! Guess what!"_

_It's Austin Moon. The one and only Austin Moon. By the looks of it, he's seventeen again. A young, boisterous seventeen. And so is she. Looking as cute as ever in a little flowered blouse. God, she misses those days. _

"_What?" she asks her boyfriend cutely, a smirk playing on her lips as she looks up from her leather-bound songbook. She can smell his excitement, it lingers on skin like dew on grass, and that in turn makes her excited. She can't help it. His happiness is just so… contagious. _

_Before answering, the boy steps forward and puts his hands on the other side of the counter, so that he's exactly facing her and the shiny old cash register that she's tapping on like a piano. Ally's in the middle of taking a shift at Sonic Boom, but it's a pretty slow day, so she welcomes the distraction. _

"_Trish got us BOTH a gig at the Florida Annual Jam Fest this Saturday!"_

_Ally raises her eyebrows. "What's that?" she questions._

"_Well, this is its first year… but Trish told me that it's going to be BIG. And we're going to be the finale! We can preform a duet!" In actuality, the event turned out to be a big flop. Going on for two, maybe three years tops. But as this point, neither of them knew it yet._

_At his words, Ally smiles. She can't help but think of all the duets they've preformed in the past, most of them ending in a very passionate, very romantic kiss. It makes her body tingle just thinking about it._

"_That sounds awesome!" she said enthusiastically. She leans forward a little to hug her cute, blond companion, but he's already one step ahead of her. Before she can even comprehend what's happening, he hops the counter and throws his arms around her tiny waist. She giggles as she tries to push him away. But, deep down, she doesn't really want him to let go. The feel of his heartbeat against hers is the most comforting feeling she can even hope to imagine._

"_I'm glad you're excited, Austin," she teases him, very much aware as one of his strong, warm hands discretely strakes her back, "But save it for the performance." _

_After Austin lets go and the blush dies down in both of their faces, they get to work. They decide to write a new song, of course, instead of just reusing some of their old stuff, and both end up staying the entire night. They didn't technically HAVE to work until 4:00am, but they couldn't help themselves. Somehow, working the whole night made it much more exciting. Especially, and Ally hated to admit this, when they had some extra time to cuddle on the piano bench, their hands just barely touching. The best was when they fell asleep inside each other's arms. It was so corny sometimes, Ally would admit it, but she loved it all the same. She loved him, she really did._

* * *

Suddenly, without warning, Ally was thrust back into reality. She didn't even know why, though she could guess that it had something to do with Trish poking her harshly in the side with her elbow.

"They've finished the movie awards, now it's time for music!" Trish whispered to her in an excited, nearly frantic, tone, "You'll be up soon, I just know it!"

Ally smiled weakly at her friend, trying hard to look a little more pumped up. Somehow, she just really didn't feel like celebrating right now. All she could think about was Austin. And with that, brought a lot of mixed up feelings. Once Trish turned away, Ally allowed herself to fall right back down into her world of memory. But what's up next, she realized, was not going to be quite as pretty as the first.

* * *

"_Austin, I can't believe you!"_

_Ally could hear her own voice ringing around and around in her head. This time she was twenty years old, just turned by the looks of it, and has a look of complete hurt and fury spread across her face._

"_Ally, come on, it's not a big deal. I'm sorry, but I was busy. What was I gonna do?"_

_She huffed at him. "Not a big deal? Austin, it was our three-year anniversary, for God sakes! We've been planning this for months! How could you just ditch me like that?"  
_

"_I told you, it wasn't my fault!" Austin replied, his voice faltering slightly as guilt began to seep into his once so golden heart, "I had an emergency record company meeting on my new album, I had to be there!"_

_Ally's face scrunched up, still not quite convinced. "But you promised me you wouldn't miss it," she moaned, biting her lip in frustration, "You said that you canceled all your plans to make room. And I did, too. Why couldn't you have just waited until tomorrow?" _

"_They told me it was an emergency! Everybody was already there, waiting for me! This is my career, I couldn't just disappoint everyone who's helped me get this far."_

_Ally shook her head sadly. "But what about me, Austin? You can't disappoint a bunch of top notch executives in fancy suits, but you'll leave the girl you love in a heartbeat? I thought I meant more to you that that."_

"_Oh, please don't say it like that," Austin complained, "I just can't risk my career for a simple date, that's all. We can postpone it until next week, is that okay?" The boy pouted his lips like a lost little puppy dog. Ally had to admit, it was tempting to forgive him right then and there just by that look he gave her, but she was stronger than that. She pushed forward _

"_Austin, I have a performance next week, remember? And the week after that, so do you. This was the only day where we were both free. And now…" her voice trailed off. She wanted him to see the disappointment in it, she really did._

"_I'm sorry, Ally, I really am," Austin whispered, looking down at his feet in guilt, "But I have to do what I have to do. We both have careers, after all. No one said it would be easy."_

"_You're right," Ally replied, tears beginning to form in her beautiful, brown eyes, "But I remember when that didn't matter. I remember when we depended on each other. The rocker and the writer. We were inseparable. And I knew for a fact that you would give up everything for me. And I would do the same for you. We were so in love, Austin. What changed?"_

_Austin just stood there, looking at her. Finally, he sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know, baby. I really don't know."_

_After a long, uncomfortable stretch of silence, Ally stepped forward. Very gently, she placed a kiss on the boy's lips. They felt warm and soft, and she hated herself for what she was about to do next. _

"_Austin," she whispered, the weight of the world clinging on to every word, "I think we need to break up."_

_She couldn't stand the look of heartbreak that flashed across his tender face. It made her feel like such a monster. She was a monster. How she possibly be doing this to him?_

"_But… why?" he had responded, his eyes glistening with tears at the mere prospect. "I know I messed up today, but I promise I'll make it up to you! Please, just give me a chance!"_

_Ally was on the verge of bursting into wild, unattractive sobs. But she knew what she was doing, and she had to pull through. It was for the best.  
_

"_Austin," she said kindly, between her soft and delicate lips, "Things have changed. We're not the people we used to be. Our careers are taking us down different paths and… I just don't think we really fit together anymore. It'll be easier to end it now, then far down the road. We both know that in a year we'll be going on two different world tours, and even before that we can't even find a day to spend together, just the two of us! It's ridiculous, Austin. We're fooling ourselves by trying to keep this thing going. I think it's time to move on."  
_

"_But…" Austin stammered, his heart falling to his feet and shattering on the cold, hard floor, "But I love you."_

_At this, a single tear trickled down Ally's face. "I love you, too," she replied, taking his hand in hers and holding it to her heart, "And I think I always will. But things aren't what they used to be. I think its time that we accept that and move on."_

_In a flash, she lets go of Austin's hand. Limp and lifeless, it falls to his side. And her heart falls with it._

* * *

The real life Ally, now back to being twenty-three, still sat on the red, plushy chairs. Her breaths are hard and hitched in her throat. She can't help the violent beating of her heart inside her chest. That had to have been the last time she had seen Austin… or at least the last time she had had a real conversation with him. After that, the two had went their separate ways. Still, even though she hadn't spoken to the boy for three entire years now, she couldn't help the pang of guilt and unwanted longing that spread across her whenever she happened to read his name in a magazine, or see him singing on stage whenever she flipped through the music channel. Austin… thinking of him HURT, it really did. And that's why she tried so hard to keep him off her mind. That was until today. She wasn't sure why today was any different then all the days before, but somehow, it just was. It really was.

"OH MY GOSH, ALLY, IT'S TIME! IT'S TIME!"

Trish's voice, now sounding exactly like an anxious teenage girl, whispered excitedly in her ear. Ally turned to smile at her, trying to copy her friend's jumpy behavior. Apparently, they had just announced the award that Ally had been nominated for. Something about being the most promising young singer of the year. She must have been too deep in thought to notice.

As the man and woman announced the names, Ally got a good look at her competition. When her name was called, she stood up proudly as she was supposed to, giving a wide smile to the cameras despite the fact that the spotlight was burning her eyes. This time it didn't feel so great. Before long, all the nominations had been listed, and the man was opening a card, ready to read the winner. Ally felt Trish squeeze her arm, and suddenly her mind was a thousand miles away from the blond boy of her childhood. All that mattered now was the present moment. And at that present moment, Ally just HAPPENED to be waiting to receive the biggest award of her career. Her heart beat fast. Her breathing quickened. Suddenly, everything else just seemed to slow down. Time was still.

And then she heard it. "ALLY DAWSON!" Her name, loud and clear as it had always been, was now ringing around and around the giant room. It was met by a monsoon of applause, and before the girl could even unfreeze her stiff and unmoving joints, Trish had pushed her to her feet. She never thought, not in a million years, that her name would be the one to follow the infamous, beautiful words of "The winner is…" But it had, and she couldn't be happier. That was made quite evident by the glistening tears of joy that suddenly filled her big, brown eyes.

It was almost as if an invisible fishing line was pulling her slowly on stage. Everything seemed unreal, like an out of body experience. It was truly amazing. When she got to the podium, the man handed her her award and gave her a kind congratulations. But she barely heard him, all her attention focused on the shining, golden prize now placed in her soft hands. She couldn't breath… but in a good way. And now, she knew, because of how important this particular award happened to be, she had to give a speech. Ally had always been a little uncomfortable on stage, but that was okay. Nobody expected it to be perfect. Half the people who came up here were so overrun with tears that they barely managed to snuffle out a word.

The man in the suit stepped to the side, encouraging Ally to stand at the podium so she could give her little speech. She did as she were told, all the while digging into her mind to remember the words that she had wrote herself weeks before just in case this exact scenario happened to occur. Most singers, she was told, had people write their speeches for them. But not Ally. Hers had to come from the heart.

"I am honestly so stunned… and grateful… for this award," Ally began, tears threatening to slide down her cheeks as her voice quivered from excitement, "I never once expected to get this far in my life, but the fact that I have is due to so many amazing people, more that I could count." Good start, Ally told herself, but keep going. Don't get sidetracked.

"First off, I need to thank my fans," she continued, "They are the reason that I am here today, and the reason that I will continue to be here for, hopefully, a long, long time. I'd also love to show my gratitude to my parents, to thank them for their endless stream of support and love, and my best friend and manager Trish, who I can count on to be there for me no matter what."

The rest of Ally's speech was supposed to go about and thank all the people who had helped her produce her first four albums. But now, for some unknowing reason—maybe a miracle, maybe even an act of God, but more likely just a coincidence—an image of a sweet, cute blond boy flashed across her mind. And this image just happened to be stronger than all those before it. She gulped. And then she did something so completely stupid and impulsive, she just knew she'd wonder why for the rest of her life.

"And, most importantly, I'd like to thank my friend, and former partner, Austin Moon," she gulped, hearing the murmur of surprise and excitement in the crowd. Now that she started, she knew she couldn't stop. "I'll admit, I haven't spoken to him in quite a while now—three years, actually—but that doesn't mean that I've forgotten him. Without his friendship and guidance, I know that I would never have gotten the opportunity, or the courage, to be here today. Not only did he help cure my stage fright, but he showed me that I was special. Unique. That I could do anything I set my mind to. And that, in itself, is priceless. How many people are you lucky enough to know that change your entire worldview? He showed me that the world isn't such a scary place, and he taught me how to have fun even when it is, and for that he is, and always will be, my friend."

At that, Ally ended. She thanked the crowd, shook the man and woman's hands, and then sauntered off stage, the shining award still clutched between her fingertips. As she sat down, she caught Trish's shocked, open-mouthed expression, and suppressed a little giggle. She'd have to explain everything to her later, she knew. But at least all was done. She'd gotten out what she wanted to say, and now she could get on with her life. She wouldn't have to stress over Austin again. She paid her dues, and now it was time to move on. Or so she thought…

* * *

A week later, Ally received a call on her new cellphone. It was an unrecognized number, but she answered it anyway. What she heard on the other end of the line was astonishing.

"Ally?" a voice said. She didn't need him to introduce himself for her to know who that voice belonged to. "I miss you."

Ally dropped the phone. She watched as it fell to the ground, creating a large, heavy boom. Those three words. They were so little, so short compared to all the time that the two of them had spent apart. But they were enough. They were more than enough.

She met him for coffee the very next day. A year later, they were married. The rest, as they say, is history.


	2. Bird

**Hey guys! It's update time! I just want to say, thank you all SO much for all the wonderful reviews I've been getting lately. I'm glad you guys liked my first one-shot so much :D.**

**Btw, in terms of updating, I'm hoping I'll be able to update at least once a week. But I'm making no promises... I've been pretty busy lately. I have four test this week, it's crazy!**

**The word for this chapter is: bird.**

* * *

**Bird**

She was in his dream last night. It seemed she was in his dreams a lot, lately. Always on his mind. Always in his heart. Not that he was complaining...

Her hair was always the first thing he noticed. The first thing that caught his eyes. Just like in real life. It was long, brown, flowing thick and soft in the whispers of the wind. It trailed behind her like a halo made of chocolate. Dark and sweet and smooth. He loved chocolate, almost as much as he loved her. If only she knew...

Her legs, long and pale and beautiful, pumped vigorously as she propelled herself towards him, a smile on her face as wide as the sun. He wasn't sure if she was smiling at him, or just smiling for the sake of being happy, but either way, he didn't really care. She was there and she was coming towards him and she was perfect, and that was all that really mattered. That was all that would ever matter. He was alive, and as long as she was alive with him, he could never be unhappy.

When she finally reached him, looking just as stunning from close up as she did far away, she stopped short. Looking up at him, she beamed, her eyes twinkling like stars. Her lips were soft and warm and precious, and he gazed at them with an expression that could only be hunger. Want. Desire. Slowly, almost as if she was trying to make him crazy, Ally began to open her mouth. To say something to him. Austin watched with rapt attention. What did she want to say? He didn't know why, but he simply NEEDED to know. The look in her eyes told him that it was important. It took far too long, but eventually her lips finally parted. Her tongue curved in her mouth, ready to release a sound. And then she did. But it was nothing like what he was expecting. It was ringing. She rang at him.

It was at that moment that he woke up from the beeping of his cell phone. But even then, even being forced to leave such a wonderful experience, he had not been disappointed. How could he have been? The Ally in his dream—as perfect and flawless as she had been—was just that. A dream. But here, in the real world? Ally was real. Wonderfully, unbelievably real. And that was more than he could ever ask for.

In fact, as it turned out, that real world Ally was the one who had woken him up in the first place. She was the one responsible for that obnoxious beeping that had interrupted his peaceful sleep in the first place. His phone, lying carelessly on the desk besides his bed, was ringing wildly now, playing out the very familiar tune of "Can't Make it Without You" as it vibrated like a chainsaw on the hard, scuffed-up surface of the wood. He knew immediately that she was the one calling. It the ringtone he had picked out specifically for her.

As Austin rose from his bed, ready to answer his cellphone, he groaned. Suddenly, it seemed, all his exhaustion from having just been woken up flooded into his brain. He looked out his window and realized that it was still dark outside, the moon high in the sky and not looking as if it were ready to come down anytime soon. He glanced at his clock and shuddered. It was four in the morning. Being a Saturday, he'd been planning to wake up no later than noon. What was this all about? In a moment, his exhaustion was joined with slight annoyance. Why couldn't she wait until the morning to call? This had better be good.

"Alllyyyy…" Austin groaned into his phone as he picked it up, his eyelids drooping, "Why did you call me so early? I'm so…. I'm so… tirrrreeeddd."

What he heard on the other side of the line made his heart stop, and his exhaustion melt away.

"Austin, please, I'm sorry." Her voice was so soft and vulnerable. He could hear the worry springing forth from her gentle lips, almost see the tears welling up in her eyes. "I just… please, I know it's late, but I need you right now. Do you mind coming over? My dad's not home and I'm just so alone right now. Please?"

How could he possibly be expected to say no to that? A beautiful girl inviting him over in the middle of the night, claiming that her parents weren't home and that she 'needed' him? Austin's hormones simply wouldn't allow him to miss this opportunity. Of course, he was deathly worried about what had happened to make her so upset, too. He really wanted to talk to her and make her feel better, as a friend more than anything. But, in all honesty, he couldn't deny that hormones were a part of his ambition. In less than fifteen minutes, Austin had snuck out of his bedroom window and driven down to Sonic Boom, where she had told him to meet her.

When he saw her dauntingly beautiful face—she was waiting for him right by the door, wearing the cutest pair of music themed pajamas he had ever seen—Austin mentally noted that she looked nothing like she did in his dream. In his mind, her hair had been absolutely perfect, every piece in place. Now it was tied back into a messy ponytail, single pieces of fuzz flying everywhere and giving her cute, scruffy patches. Her eyes, which had been so wide and happy, now had dark circles underneath, and were glistening with what Austin knew could only be tears. And of course, she was not smiling. All he could see were her soft, plushy lips, which now seemed quite stretched out and colorless as she chewed them in nervousness. She certainly wasn't at her best. Austin marveled at how she could be so unbelievably beautiful anyway.

"Austin," she said once she saw him. A look of what could only be relief spread across her face. The boy felt all tingly to think that he was the one who had made her feel that way.

"What's wrong?" he had asked her immediately, his face pale as a million horrible thoughts crossed his mind. Had she lost all of her money? Had her house burned down? Had her father had a heart attack? Was she moving away? Each guess got worse as he progressed on, and soon he couldn't stand it anymore. He needed to know, and he needed to know it now.

"It's—" she began, painfully slow, swallowing a gulp in her throat, "It's Owen. He died, Austin."

Austin just stood there. He couldn't move. And as much as he hated himself for it, he wanted to burst out laughing. Out of all the things that had ran through his head only a moment ago, this was like winning the lottery. Of all the things that could have happened, it was only the death of a bird. Just a stupid, little bird.

Ally looked at him, and maybe she could see the way he was holding back a chuckle, for suddenly a huge wave of hurt crossed her face. Austin immediately felt guilty. He ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders just as she tried to turn away.

"Ally, Ally," he said to her kindly as he grabbed her gently, pulling her towards his awaiting arms, "I'm so sorry. That's horrible. Please, tell me what happened."

The girl shook suddenly, as if by the cold, and then sagged in his arms as he pulled her into a hug. When he pulled away, she began to explain with a voice so lifeless and cracked that it broke his heart.

"My dad went out a last night to some kind of small business owners convention in Orlando, so I was alone tonight. I was sleeping pretty well, actually, until I woke up in the middle of the night hearing noises. They were coming from Owen's cage. I walked over to it, and when I pulled off the cover—Owen can't sleep unless there's absolutely no light at all—he was on the floor, writhing as though he was having a seizer or something. I actually think he was. Even I didn't know birds could have seizers! Owen was squawking so loudly I just didn't know what to do. I couldn't move. But I guess even if I could, it probably wouldn't have helped. A minute later he just stopped moving. I went to check his heartbeat and there was just… silence. And that was when I called you. I'm sorry… I know it's late, I shouldn't have bothered you."

Austin listened, his eyes going wide with sorrow for the fear the poor girl must have felt. Then he shook his head.

"It's no problem, Als," he whispered to her, "I'm always there for you, you know that."

For a moment, Ally smiled. He missed that smile. He missed it a lot.

After a second, a thought crossed his mind. He voiced it without thinking. "Why didn't you call Trish to come over?" he asked her. She was her best friend, after all.

Ally shrugged, looking down at her yellow slippers. "I don't know, Austin. I just… wasn't thinking. All I knew was that I really needed to talk to someone, and I guess that someone was you. I'm sorry, but I just really needed you. I hope that isn't too weird."

Austin shook his head. It wasn't weird at all. In fact, it filled him with sensations so magnificently wonderful that clenching his teeth was all he could do to keep himself from laughing out of pure joy. After a moment of silence, Ally continued.

"I brought Owen's cage into the practice room. He's… still in there. I wanted to give him a proper burial, here specifically since this is where we've had all our best memories. I was wondering if maybe you could help me…"

Her voice trailed off, as if ashamed to be asking him to clean up her problems, but he was already one step ahead of her.

"I think I know where we can find a shovel," he noted quickly, "Dez used one for a video a little while back, and I'm pretty sure we put it in the storage unit. Let me check."

Before Ally could stop him, Austin quickly ran inside and bounded upstairs, his footsteps clattering behind him. When he reached the tiny, closet-like room, his chest heaving from lack of air, he grabbed the shovel in the palms of his hands, feeling it's rough, wooden surface.

For a moment, he allowed himself to wonder. What was going on with Ally? Yes, he understood that Owen was her favorite pet. So it was understandable for her to be a little upset about his death. But the way she was acting… it was as if she'd lost a sibling, for God sakes! What was so special about that little bird?

Austin met Ally out back, in a soft patch of grass behind Sonic Boom. She hadn't told him to meet her there, but somehow he just knew. If they were going to bury Owen anywhere, it had to be here. He didn't know why, but it had to be.

Ally was sitting on the cold, wet ground, waiting for him. Her head was pointing towards the ground. In her hand was the shiny, metallic birdcage he had only seen three times before. He could see Owen's body lying still and lifeless through its narrow bars. Suddenly, he felt a pang of unrequested sorrow. He didn't know why, he'd never even known the bird, much less liked him.

"We should do it right here," Ally told him once he approached her, pointing to a specific spot on the ground. It was near a patch of beautiful orange Marigolds, and Austin did not resist. He stuck his shovel into the soft, cool ground and felt as it cut into the Earth like butter. He made a quick swoop with his tool to pick up as much dirt as he could manage, and then swept it away with one flick of the wrist. Since Owen was so small, he'd only needed to do this a few times before the hole was the right size. It almost looked eerie in this lighting. A miniature grave for a miniature body.

For a moment, Ally looked at the negative space and nodded. Then a look of despair crossed her face, and Austin knew immediately that something was wrong. He didn't even have time to ask what before she blurted it out.

"We don't have a coffin for him!" she cried out, looking at the harsh, jagged dirt he would be laid upon, "We can't bury him without one! That would be horrible!"

Austin couldn't even process the absurdity of the statement before Ally jumped up and ran inside, her hair flying behind her. The boy shook his head as he watched her go, fairly certain that she'd never find a bird-sized coffin, especially not in a music shop. As it turned out, he was wrong. Less than five minutes later, Ally came running back with a small box in her hand. It was brown and relatively bland, but it would do the trick.

"I was using it to hold a package of about twelve harmonicas, but I guess I can put them somewhere else," Ally explained, "This is about Owen's size… and it has shipping foam in it for padding, so at least he'll be comfortable."

Austin struggled not to point out to her that Owen was dead, so it probably didn't matter to him whether he was comfortable or not.

Slowly, under the ominous moonlight, Austin moved his hand towards the lifeless creature waiting for him in the cage. He gulped silently to himself. He wasn't one to go about touching dead things, but this was for Ally. He'd do anything for Ally.

Austin took a deep breath, and trying hard not let out a girly shriek, he curled his hand around the creature. Its body was cold and soft and floppy. Definitely dead, there wasn't a doubt about that. Being sure to hold it as far away from his torso as possible, Austin lifting Owen into the air and placed him, ever gently, into the open, brown box. When he was finished, admiring his handiwork, it almost looked as though the creature was just sleeping. Softly, peacefully. Like an angel nuzzled by a cloud. He would wake up soon and fill Ally's heart once more with his beautiful songs... But no, Owen was dead. That was more than clear.

Austin pulled his gaze away from the bird resting in the coffin, and instead moved his attention towards Ally's face. She just sat there, her brown eyes bleary, with a blank expression stretched across her face. Austin could tell, however, that this was only because she was trying so hard not to cry. Under the twinkle of the stars, and the continuous shine of the moon, it was a depressing sight.

"You want to say something?" he asked her kindly after a few moments of silence, "Before we bury him, I mean?"

Ally nodded solemnly, but said nothing. Austin egged her on by resting his hand, firm yet gentle, on the top of her shoulder. Somehow, this gave her the courage to begin.

"Owen," she said, her voice shaky, "I don't know what to say. But… you were a great bird, and a great friend, and I'm sorry you had to go like this. You know I miss you."

For a second, she paused, taking a deep, shuddery breath. It made Austin's skin tingle, and he gripped her shoulder tighter.

"I just want to say," she began again, swallowing a gulp in her throat, "T-Thank you. You were… you were always there for me when I was a little girl, and I can't thank you enough for that. When my parents got divorced, when my mom moved to Africa, even when I got my stage fright, you were there. You'll always be my friend, no matter where you are. I hope you know that, Owen. I hope you know that."

Suddenly, Austin's heart stopped. He couldn't believe it. He really couldn't. In that moment, Owen suddenly started looking a whole lot less like a stupid, useless bird, and a whole lot more like a… like a what? Ally's friend? Ally's pet? Part of her family, even? No, it wasn't that. It was something more. Owen was almost like a bridge to Ally's old life. A token that reminded her of how broken and shattered she had been as a little girl, and how much she had grown since then. Something to lean on when she was sad, something that would always remind her that things would get better. And without him? Well, let's just say that Austin suddenly realized why Ally had been so upset to lose him. Owen was much, much more than just a bird. And Austin felt ashamed for thinking otherwise.

"Ally," Austin whispered to the girl, moving his hand from her shoulder, down her forearm, all the way over until it connected with her soft, smooth palm. He held her hand and continued to speak. "I didn't realize how important he was to you."

Ally shook her head slowly. "Of course you didn't," she replied blandly, "I never told anybody. Except for Owen, that is."

The boy looked at the ground, gently rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, as he contemplated what to say next. But nothing came to him. His head was blank. His tongue was empty. He was speechless.

He heard Ally gulp. And then he heard her say something else. Something that made him freeze on the spot.

"I don't know how I'll make it without him," she spoke, her voice trailing off, "I've had him since I was six years old. It's become so normal for me to just talk to him whenever I'm feeling upset. What I supposed to do now? Who am I supposed to talk to."

Suddenly, somehow, Austin's words came back. He didn't even attempt to mull over then in his thoughts before he said them out loud. He just spat them out, like a vile drop of venom. Except much, much sweeter.

"Ally," he whispered, pulling her so close that his face was in her hair, "You don't need Owen anymore."

Ally gasped and pulled away from him, offended for her feathery little friend, but Austin pulled her back, smelling the strawberry shampoo in her hair. She hadn't let him finish.

"You don't need him anymore," he continued, "Because you're not the same girl you were back then. When you got Owen—you were six, right?—you were so young and so little and so afraid. You were lost, and Owen was the one who helped you find your way. But Ally, you're not that girl anymore. You're not lost."

Ally just looked up at him, their faces inches apart, not knowing what to say. Austin kept on going.

"You're beautiful, Als," he told her truthfully, "You're brave and you're smart and you're talented. Owen was a friend you needed when you were alone and scared, but you've moved past that chapter of your life. And Owen knew that. Maybe that's why he left. He knew that he had done his job. He had faith in you."

Austin knew how ridiculous he was sounding, and he knew in any other situation he wouldn't have believed a word he had just said, but somehow right now, it was different. Right now, he really, truly believed that that bird really was alive only to help his beloved songwriter. And now that the bird had done his job, it was his turn.

"But who am I gonna talk to?" Ally suddenly whispered, worry in her voice, "What if I need help, who do I turn to?"

"Ally," Austin answered as kindly as he could, "You have me. I know I'm no Owen, but I think that this is the chapter in your life for just us. Just the two of us. Maybe I could be your bird, Ally. Just like I'm your goose. Let me be your Owen. Let me be your friend."

For a moment, Ally was silent. Deathly, deathly silent. Then she did something so unexpected, so entirely unexplainable, that it caught the boy completely off guard. She leaned forward, and pressed her soft, warm lips against his own. They had never kissed was the first time. And it was wonderful. Beyond wonderful. Perfection.

When she pulled back, she was breathing rapidly. Her chest pumped up and down as she fought for breath. Obviously, she wasn't expecting that either. But that didn't mean she didn't like it... Finally, after a long stretch of awkward silence, Ally spoke up.

"Um…" she began, her voice now shaking for an entirely different reason, "I think we should fill in the hole now. It's time."

Austin nodded slowly. He took her hand in his, and together, they pushed the pile of dirt into the grave. And as they buried Owen, they buried Ally's old life as well.

Slowly, beneath the glow of the moonlight, Austin and Ally got up and walked hand in hand towards Sonic Boom. Towards their new, brighter future. And not once did they ever look back.

Not once.


	3. Cassidy

**Hello everybody! I'm back, for chapter three :). This one is kind of rough around the edges, since I didn't have a chance to really polish it up, but I hope you like it anyway! The word is: Cassidy. I think you all know who that is ;). **

**Cassidy**

It was, by all definitions of the term, a very normal, very unextraordinary day.

Austin Moon, the teenage heartthrob of the decade, currently sat on the soft padding of a piano bench, whistling to his heart's content. In a sort of bored anticipation, the boy knocked his knees together in a weird, catchy beat. He stared out the clear glass door of Sonic Boom, watching random civilians pass on by as he waited for his music partner, and loving girlfriend, to come back from her monthly 'Cloud Watching Club' meeting. It had become routine for him to wander around like a lost little puppy whenever Ally had somewhere else to be. It was pathetic, he knew it was, but somehow he could never seem to stop himself.

At one point, an entire squad of 10th grade cheerleaders had walked right past the store, chatting and giggling like little children and thrusting their perfect, blond hair behind their shoulders. If it had been four months earlier, Austin would have wasted no time at all jumping up from his seat and 'introducing' himself to them. Given his well-earned fame and general good looks, he doubted he'd have any trouble snagging a few of their numbers. But now? Not a chance. Those cheerleaders, as attractive as they were in those short skirts and tight, bright yellow tank tops, Austin cared little. He had a girl of his own—a beautiful girl, at that—and he'd risk nothing to lose her. In his opinion, she was far better than any cheery faced, red-lipped blond he'd meet in his entire life.

Austin, still gazing halfheartedly out the window, looked up towards the sky to see that the sun was up and shining, swimming leisurely with a swarm of fluffy clouds. There was a forty percent chance of rain, Austin had heard from his mom, but he didn't care much. Rain or no rain, he was going to have a very eventful day. He just didn't know it yet.

It wasn't until he'd been waiting for nearly half an hour that his mind began to drift. What the heck was he doing nothing for, anyway? Sure, Ally was off somewhere, but that didn't mean that he couldn't have any fun! His boredom was beginning to make him nauseous. If there was one thing he knew, it was that the only cure to every illness was music. And in Sonic Boom, there was more than enough music to go around.

In a clean, swift movement, Austin lifted his legs above the ground and twisted around on his seat to face the black and white keys of the piano. His fingers, long and thin and flexible, jumped to the instrument as though they were made for it. They moved so naturally, with so little thought, it made the boy smile. Music flowed out of his own hands, soft and sweet and beautiful. It reminded him off of Ally. Soft and sweet and beautiful. What else but the most magical of melodies could capture her essence?

It was halfway through his loner jam session, pouring out his heart and soul into tiny black notes on paper, when he heard the door behind him swing open. A bell jingled lightly to signal the entrance of a customer. But Austin knew better. Whoever had entered was humming the gentle tune of "I Think About You" in a pleasant, flawless voice. Who else could it be but Ally?

"Hey Babe," Austin said nonchalantly without turning around, a smile playing across his face at the prospect of seeing his girl, "You back already?"

"You miss me, Blondie?"

Austin froze. His heart dropped to his stomach. The blood is his veins turned cold. That voice didn't belong to Ally Dawson…

When the boy finally managed to push his himself around—it was no small task, considering all his joints seemed to have been cemented shut—he finally saw who had spoken to him only moments before. His jaw dropped. This couldn't be happening…

Her hair was as shiny and golden as he had remembered it. It rolled down her shoulders, straight and sleek, without a single piece out of place. On her face was a cute, flirty grin, one that showed off her shining teeth and made her eyes crinkle in the sweetest way possible. Her startling brown eyes flashed at him, and he felt a tornado or heat and pressure begin to turn inside of him. Oh god… not her, anybody but her…

"Just got back from my tour," the pretty blond whispered between her perfect, pink lips, "I'm not here to stay, of course, but I figured I might as well follow through on a certain promise I made to a special someone. Do you remember that promise?"

With that, she winked, and Austin felt his insides melt. The promise. He remembered that promise all too well. Slowly, he nodded.

"I remember, Cassidy," he said, his voice sounding dry and hollow in his throat.

The girl flashed him a sexy grin. "Great," she said, "I knew you would, blondie. I'm free later, if you want to do something. Whatever you want, my treat."

OH. MY. GOD.

Like he knew she would at a time like this, Ally crossed his mind. Her beautiful, laughing face jumped out from every crevice of his brain, blocking out nearly every single thought. She looked at him for a moment, her eyes wide with joy, and then her entire expression contorted. Her smile lost its shine, turning downwards into an expression of pure horror. Her happy, pink cheeks immediately went pale. And her eyes turned dark, filling with pain and heartbreak.

He knew immediately that he couldn't let Ally see Cassidy. It would only bring up the past. Flaunt the fact that Austin had loved this waitress before he even loved his own partner. She might even think he was cheating on her! That wouldn't do. It wouldn't do at all.

"Cassidy…" Austin began, a lump in his throat. He needed to tell her, needed to tell her now, that he already had a girlfriend. That he could not go out with her. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

But how could he? The last time he had seen this girl he had sang her a love song, for god sakes! He had asked her out, and even when she said she had to go on tour, made her promise to go on a date with him following her return. For all he knew, this girl had resisted a whole surge of interested boys just so that she could fulfill his request. Had ended her tour early _specifically _so that she could go on that date she promised. How could he turn her down after all that?

As Austin stood there trying to figure out what to say, his lip quivering like that of a crying toddler, something began to buzz in his pocket. The boy released a breath of relief. He was thankful for the distraction.

"Give me a sec," he told the blond standing only a few feet away from him, "I got to take this."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. He had gotten a text. By none other than Ally Dawson herself.

In almost nervous anticipation, Austin flicked his finger to the correct button and began to read her words.

_Club meeting just ended. It was amazing! So inspirational… Anyway, I'll be at Sonic Boom in five minutes. Thanks for waiting for me _

Austin's heart stopped. His fingers fumbled and his phone went clattering to the floor. In nearly slow motion, as he bent down to retrieve it, his mind raced to come up with a solution to his growing problem. He found an idea quite quickly. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't a very good one.

"Hey…" Austin said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "You want to do something? How about right now! Let's go!"

At this, Cassidy looked a little unsure. "Right now?" she asked, "Oh, I don't know about that, blondie. I kinda have to do some—,"

She didn't have time to finish. Halfway through her sentence, Austin got another text.

_Be there in two minutes. I can't wait to see you! _

Austin gulped. He bounded forward suddenly and grabbed Cassidy's wrist.

"Come on, don't be shy! Let's go to Mini's, now!"

The girl seemed taken aback, but to Austin's relief she just went with it, smiling at him crookedly but otherwise allowing him to lead her away. His plan was simply to get Cassidy OUT of Sonic Boom so that Ally didn't see her. Now that he had gotten that out of the way, he didn't really know what to do.

Halfway to town, Austin finally decided to text Ally back. He worded it very carefully.

_Sorry, Ally. I just left Sonic Boom, Dez had some emergency he needed me to take care of. I'll see you later, ok?_

He read it over twice before he dared to press send. He hated lying to Ally, but in this case, there seemed no other way. Man, was he wrong…

"Austin," Cassidy finally said, eyeing the Miami mall with a look of bittersweet nostalgia, "Why don't we go to Melody Diner? That was where we first met, after all. Bring back memories. "

Austin gulped. The last thing he wanted to do was bring back memories. In fact, all he wanted to do was run AWAY from them. Still, with a lump in his throat, he agreed. Cassidy flashed him an award winning smile, and soon they were moving in the opposite direction.

When they reached that familiar little diner, Ally's face once again crossed Austin's mind. And again, it was not happy. Not at all.

"Remember this place, blondie?" Cassidy asked besides him, with a smile, "Worked here together for about a week or two. Those were the times, weren't they?"

Austin nodded grimly and the two went over to one of the tables. Within a minute or two, Mindy, the manager, approached them. She was looking down at a writing pad in her hand, not even bothering to glance up in her customer's direction.

"What do you want to order?" she sang rather unenthusiastically, "May I suggest a soda? Only four quarters!"

"No thanks, Mindy," Cassidy replied, a mischievous grin stretched across her face, "How about some of that famous pot pie?"

When Mindy heard her voice, she froze. Slowly, almost comically, she lifted her head up.

"Cassidy?" she stuttered, "Y-You're back?"

And then she saw Austin sitting across from the blond, and her jaw literally dropped. Austin would have laughed if not for the seriousness of the situation.

"You're on a date with AUSTIN!?" Mindy shouted, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head, "But Austin, aren't you dating—,"

"Hey Mindy!" Austin interrupted suddenly, jumping up from his seat, "I need to talk to you for a second…"

He hissed the last words under his breath and grabbed Mindy's thick, muscled arm, dragging her over to the glass door.

"YOU'RE CHEATING ON ALLY!" Mindy yelled once Cassidy was out of earshot, "I'M SO TELLING!"

"No, please!" Austin begged, his eyes getting wide and blurry, "It isn't what it looks like! Please don't tell her!"

At this, Mindy gave him a very threatening, almost insane, smile. She raised her eyebrows joyfully.

"You don't want me to tell her, hmmm…" she said mischievously, "How could you ask me to lie to my dear friend Ally? You should be ashamed."

Austin groaned. He knew very well that Ally and Mindy were as far from being friends as any two living people could be.

"What do you want," he hissed, his stomach beginning to turn excruciatingly hot, sloshing around like boiling water.

"Oh, I don't know…" she replied slyly, looking away from him, "Maybe you could ask your cute friend Deziroo."

Austin sighed. He should have seen it coming. "You want to go on a date with Dez?"

She nodded enthusiastically. And Austin sighed.

"Fine, just don't tell Ally."

"Deal! Tell him our date is black tie mandatory. I can't wait to see that redheaded stud in a tuxedo!"

Austin returned to his table with a grim expression. "What was that all about?" Cassidy asked him, curious.

"Nothing," Austin answered quickly, "Do you mind if I call Dez? I just need to tell him something."

Cassidy nodded and Austin went to the corner and typed in his friend's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Hey buddy!" Dez said in his usual, cheery voice, "What's up?"

"Hey… Dez," Austin replied awkwardly, "I need a favor. Two, actually. Do you mind?"

He could almost feel the boy's excitement through the phone.

"Sure thing, Austin. Do you need to borrow my pants again?"

"Err… no. First of all, I need you to avoid Ally."

"Why? I like Ally."

"I know, but I kind of told her I was hanging out with you today, and if she see's you without me she'll know it's not true."

"Avoid Ally. Got it! What else?"

"Um… there's no easy way to say this, but, you need to go on a date with Mindy."

Dez gasped melodramatically.

"WHAT! NO WAY! NEVER!"

"Please Dez," Austin begged, "I need this from you. Mindy saw me with Cassidy at Melody Diner and she says that if you don't go on a date with her tomorrow she'll tell Ally! Please!"

Dez went silent for a few moments. Then he nodded.

"Um, Dez?" Austin asked, "Are you nodding? You know I can't see you through the phone, right?"

"Oh yeah, I knew that… Well the answer is yes. I'll go on a date with Mindy. Anything for you, buddy!"

"Great!" Austin answered, relief flooding through him like a wash of warm water, "I'll call you later, okay? Thanks!"

He hung up and went back to his table with Cassidy. Little did he know of the ticking time bomb he had just wired himself…

Back at Sonic Boom, Dez was sitting on one of the empty counters, right next to the cash register. Austin's request ran through his mind in a blurry mess. So, he'd have to go on a date with Mindy, then? That kinda stunk, but whatever. If Austin needed him to do it, he'd do it. There was no problem there.

In fact, the only problem was with Austin's other request. That is, he didn't remember what it was.

How could he forget what Austin had asked him to do? Sure, the horror of dating Mindy had distracted him, but still! He should have remembered! Dez looked down at his feet and began to twist his hands in anger. Trish had always called him dimwitted, but he had never really believed her. Not once. This was, as he could remember, the first time he'd ever done something even the slightest bit stupid. He was a pure genius, in his opinion. So how could this happen?

Oh well, it didn't matter. Dez would have to just figure it out later. Maybe he'd ask Ally. She knew Austin so well, she'd probably be able to figure out what he wanted. Slowly, Dez moved upstairs to the practice room. He knew Ally had gone up there, and he wanted to go see her. She'd help him realize what Austin wanted, he was sure of it. And in a way, he was right.

"Hey Ally!" Dez said enthusiastically as he entered the room, eyeing the brunette leaning over the piano. She jumped from surprise, but otherwise returned his smile. That is, until she realized what seeing him meant.

"I thought you were supposed to be with Austin…" Ally began slowly, eyes wide and confused, "Where is he?"

"Nope," replied Dez stupidly, "I'm not with Austin, he's in Melody Diner."

"Melody Diner?" Ally asked, surprised, "Why would he be there?"

"He's on a date with Cassidy, I think," Dez answered happily, "He told me he needed me to do something, but I can't remember what."

A look of horror crossed the girl's pretty face. "On a DATE with Cassidy?" she asked, jaw dropping, "Are you sure?!"

"Yeah," Dez said with an idiotic smile, "He called to tell me. He asked me to… oh, now I remember! He wanted to make sure that I avoided you so that you wouldn't find out about it! Thanks, Ally."

He smiled proudly for a second, feeling accomplished for having figured out this mystery, and then his smile faded. He looked at Ally, thought about Austin's directions, and then let out a girly, high-pitched scream.

"Haha, I was just kidding!" Dez tried to yell after the girl, but it was too late. She had already bounded out of the room, on her way to Melody's Diner. Dez gulped. Oops. Maybe he wasn't such a genius after all…

When Austin saw his girlfriend less than ten minutes later, it was all he could do not to scream. He was talking to Cassidy, trying to find a way to let her down easy and yet failing miserably, when she just sauntered right in. She looked around for a second, caught Austin's eyes, and then walked right over. She stood right above Cassidy, where the girl couldn't see her, and raised her eyebrows.

_What the heck is this, Austin?_ She seemed to ask in her silence. _What's going on here?_

Austin gulped. This was not going to be easy.

"Give me a second," he told Cassidy, who still seemed to have no real idea about what was happening. He jumped up and walked to Ally, pulling her over to the other side of the room.

"Ally, I'm—" he began, unsuccessful in explaining himself.

"Austin, what are doing?"

To his surprise, Ally didn't seem all that angry, just confused. Maybe even a little worried.

"I can explain!" he pleaded, "Really, I have a good reason."

"Then explain," she replied, her arms crossed across her chest, "Tell me, Austin. What's going on here? You better have a decent reason."

It took him a good ten minutes, and when he was done, Ally just looked at him. Her expression was blank. Her lips were stretched thin. Her eyes empty. Austin felt like crying. He was going to get it this time, he just knew it.

Finally, after far too long, she decided it was time to make her move. It was not what he had been expecting. Not at all. The girl lifted her chin, closed her eyes, and burst out laughing.

"Huh?" Austin asked, to no avail, "What's so funny?"

He couldn't get a straight answer out of her. She just wouldn't stop laughing. On and on the giggles came, and he just stood there, looking like a deer in headlights.

"You are—" Ally finally managed to choke out as her giggles spluttered to a stop. She looked at him and pulled him into a hug. "You're so stupid sometimes, you know that?" she whispered to him, her head resting in the crook of his neck. He nodded slowly, suddenly feeling a smile beginning to form.

In a few seconds, Ally pulled away. "For a second I really thought you were cheating on my, Austin," she said, almost going back into her laughing fit, "Do you want me to go talk to her?"

Austin nodded like a lost toddler, and Ally immediately strode towards Cassidy, who was still sitting at the table looking as confused as ever. Austin watched as his girlfriend sat across from her and said a few words, none of which he could hear. He felt his heart nearly burst from his chest in nervousness. He could just imagine how angry and upset Cassidy would be. He prepared himself for the worst. Less than two minutes later, both Ally and Cassidy stood up.

"Bye blondie, I gotta get going" Cassidy said with her signature smile, her eyes flashing with laughter, "I always thought you and your little songwriter would make a good couple. Wish you luck, guys." And then she just strutted out, still smiling. Austin was stunned.

"What did you do?" he had asked Ally once she had approached him, smiling slyly.

"I just talked to her for a second," she replied with a shrug, "Told her I was your girlfriend and that this whole thing was just a misunderstanding."

Austin gaped at her. "And what did she do?"

"She told me it was fine and left. She said she kinda has a crush on her band's drummer, anyway. No hard feelings at all."

He was speechless. He couldn't believe everything he had just gone through could have been avoided by just talking to the girl.

In the silence, Ally giggled. "You really are an idiot sometimes, Austin."

Austin nodded.

"That's why I need you, Ally. That's why I need you."

He didn't say it out loud, but as he stood there, chuckling to himself, another thought crossed his mind. A thought that made his insides flutter as though they were full of dancing butterflies. He hadn't realized it before, but now it was clearer than ever.

_This is why I love you. _


	4. Delicate

**Hey everybody! I know this is super late, and I'm sorry, but I've just been so busy lately it's crazy! This chapter isn't as good as I'd have liked it to be, pretty short and everything, but I just really wanted to update as soon as possible. So... here it is. Enjoy :).**

**Delicate**

For some strange reason, he'd always thought of her as something delicate.

Fragile as a flower just beginning to bloom in springtime air. Frail as a glass vase reflecting the golden light of the sun. Vulnerable as an infant drifting to sleep in the arms of its mother. Just as dainty as one could imagine.

And who could blame him for thinking this way? When he looked at her—her soft, flowing locks of hair, the shining brown orbs she called eyes, her pale, angelic skin—it all screamed beauty. And he was taught, by his mother and father and nearly every book he'd ever read, that beauty was fleeting. That in a second, by one little act of selfishness or cruelty, what once was so shining and pleasing to the eye, would either be corrupted by the evils in the world, or dissipate on the very spot.

He just didn't want that to happen to her.

Ally was so stunning, he couldn't get enough of her. The way her eyes sparkled whenever she looked at him, flashing him that pearly white smile that just made his insides melt. The way her laugh would ring out through the room at the lamest jokes he'd ever heard, sounding more precious than any melody he could ever possibly play out on a piano. The way she blushed and chewed her hair whenever he'd be brave enough to lean forward and grab her hand in his, feeling the plushness of her skin as adrenaline pumped through his veins. It was only natural for him to want to preserve something like that. To want it to never go away. To stay with him forever.

That was why he had promised himself that he would do anything, everything, to protect her.

He had started with little things. Watching her back whenever she had a problem that needed solving. Handing her a few encouraging words whenever she was forced to deal with her stage fright. Glaring at Dallas whenever he remained oblivious to Ally's obvious infatuation with him. He liked to tell himself that he only hated Ally's crush because he was afraid that he would hurt her, but deep down he was worried that he might have been hiding some jealousy for the doe-eyed dimwit. But of course, he would sooner die than admit that.

Whatever reason it happened to be, all Austin knew was that when Ally had asked the kid to dance with her at Trish's party, and that idiot had said NO, he was angry enough to have gone up to him and punched him squarely in the face right then and there. Lucky for both of them, Austin's sympathy for Ally overpowered his anger any day. And so instead of punching Dallas as he would've liked, he had decided to just dance with the girl instead. So he had given up his performance, his chance at playing at a night club, just to see that beautiful smile stretch across her face once more. And he didn't regret it for a second. Once he had held her in his arms, so soft and pure, and gazed into her eyes, so kind and mysterious, he knew suddenly that he would do anything for her. Anything at all. And if Dallas didn't realize how beautiful, how perfect, she was, then that was his loss. His loss.

As time went on, and he felt himself falling deeper and deeper in love with the girl, he had worked harder and harder, did more and more, to protect her. He'd sneak out while grounded just so he could help her run her fundraiser. He'd coax her on stage and stand side by side with her as she faced her biggest fear. He'd even bungee jump off a bridge for her, for god sakes! Anything to keep her soul as bright and pure and untouched as it was meant to be. Anything to keep out the dirt and the scum, the corruption that entered her as fear and doubt, from infecting her beauty from the inside out. She was just so fragile, so dainty, so delicate. Delicate.

It was a very sunny morning the day he found out that he'd been wrong about everything.

Ally was in Sonic Boom that day, taking a shift at the cash register as Austin sat on a stool besides her, watching her scribble down lyrics in a songbook. She was just so talented, it awed him. Business was considerably slow that morning, as it often was on Sundays, and the two were just busying themselves, trying to keep the boredom from seeping deep inside their souls. As Ally whistled away a tune between her plush, pink lips, Austin had followed by tapping his foot to the beat, not taking his eyes off of the gentle curve of her hand as she wrote with perfect precession. He was mesmerized, and she was about as far from reality as one could possibly be without falling asleep.

It was then, at both of their most unprepared moment, that _he _entered.

The sound of his footsteps, sharp and fast and deadly, completely messed up Ally's light, gentle tune, and his mere presence seemed to shatter the perfect silence that had just so recently been covering them. Austin didn't even need to look up to feel the huge surge of confidence that emanated off of the boy's body and released itself with every step that he would take. He could have sworn that his ego was big enough to take up the entire room. It made them both feel a little queasy.

The kid's name was officially Douglas Tucker, but everyone just called him Dug. He was fairly new at the school, actually, and his midnight black hair was slicked back in a way that was supposed to look cool. His teeth were grimy and yellowed, probably from chewing tobacco so often, but other than that he was actually quite good looking. With a long, thin nose, matched by a pair of narrow gray eyes, and pulled together by a sturdy chin, few girls could resist his stunning charm. He was known as the school's 'bad boy' and Austin didn't like him one bit. Not a bit.

The kid had sauntered in as though he owned the place, chewing on a suspicious looking substance as he flashed his yellow grin. Even as the gross, sticky chewing sound hit her ears, Ally did not look up. She just kept gazing down at her book, acting as if she didn't notice. Unfazed, Dug had walked over.

"Hey, babe," he had said to her, "What's ya up to?"

"Go away, Douglas," she said to him almost immediately, still not looking up. Austin couldn't help the distressing thought that occurred to him, as if the girl had had problems with this kid before and he hadn't even known. He just couldn't believe that Dug was hitting on his girlfriend right in front of him!

"Oh come on, beautiful," the boy said slyly, reaching forward to touch her hair, "I just wanna talk, that's all. What ya doing in a dump like this?"

She pushed his hand away in a second. "My father owns the place," she said coldly, "And I work here."

He only shrugged and chuckled. "Well, this place is pretty freaking empty, if you ask me. Why don't you just close up for the day and come with me. I'll buy you lunch or whatever, sound good?"

Before Ally could decline, Austin spoke up, a wash of rage overcoming him. "She told you to leave her alone, Dug," he said as gruffly as he could manage, "So go."

Douglas just laughed, but now his laugh was cold.

"Oh, and who's this chump?" he mocked, "The great and mighty Austin Moon, I think. Does the glittery little pop star not like me messing around with his pretty girlfriend, is that it?" He turned to Ally. "Come on, babe, why don't you leave this little priss for a real man?" He winked at her, and Austin couldn't help but feel a well of jealously building up inside him at how charming and attractive this kid could be when he wanted to.

"Be quiet, Douglas," Ally said suddenly, her face going pink, "My life is perfectly fine without you. Just get out."

"Oh, is that so? Then why don't you look at me while you're talking, babe?" Dug reached to grab Ally's book away from her, so she had nothing to distract herself with, but just as he had wrapped his fingers around it's leather cover, it was snatched away.

"DON'T TOUCH MY BOOK!" Ally snapped at him, holding it to her chest as her cheeks burned a fiery red.

Dug only laughed. "What's your problem? Don't want me to read your little diary? Are you afraid I'll find out about how attractive you think I am?" The look of superiority in the jerk's eyes infuriated Austin. He opened his mouth to say something he knew he might regret.

"DON'T TALK TO HER LIKE THAT," he yelled, pounding his fist on the counter in front of him, "YOU'RE JUST A—"

Suddenly, Ally interrupted him. She turned her head to look inside his eyes, and then whispered as soft as the wind. "Stop," she said, letting the single syllable roll between her lips. After a moment, she mouthed the words, "I can handle this."

In an act that left him speechless, Ally turned around and beckoned Dug closer. Probably expecting a kiss, the boy happily obliged. But in an instant, she had grabbed the front of his shirt in her fist and pulled him closer, glaring at him straight in the eyes.

"W-What the hell are you doing, babe?" he asked her, his voice quivering in surprise.

"Don't call me that," she said in an unnaturally calm, quiet voice. This voice was not the one that belonged to his sweet, little Ally. It held venom in it. It was deadly.

Trying to regain control, the boy scoffed, though Austin could see the intimidation in his eyes.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

At this, the girl smiled. But again, it was not the smile that Austin knew.

"What am I going to do? Nothing," she said, not taking her eyes off his, "Why? Because I don't have to do anything. Life is going to do it for me."

The boy looked generally confused (he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed), so Ally continued.

"Look at me, Douglas. Where do you think I'm going to end up? In ten, twenty years, I'll probably be a famous singer, or at least a musician, right? And so will Austin. But you? Douglas, I hate to tell you this, but you have no future."

She paused, letting this sink in, before continuing. "You keep on treating girls like this, you never will. Because I for one believe in karma, and I know that boys like you just don't get happy endings. You go around acting as if you own the world, as if you're better than everybody else, when in reality all you are is just a stuck-up player, one without a talent in the world. So I won't do anything to you, because I know that sooner or later, life will get my revenge for me."

This, unlike everything else she had said that day, had an affect. The boy's eyes went wide. His bottom lip quivered. Austin had to stiffen a giggle as Dug pulled away, gasping for air.

"Whatever," he said, "You don't know anything! You're just a crazy little bitch! I don't care what the hell you say about me, anyway!" At this, he stormed out of Sonic Boom. He never came back.

After a few seconds of shocked silence, Austin looked at Ally's face. She gave him a very satisfied smile. Then, in almost an inaudible whisper…

"I told you I could handle it."

In an instant, Austin understood. He understood everything. And as he had went up to her, thrown his arms around her waist and planted a gentle kiss on the edge of her lips, a thousand of these realizations rushed through his head.

Beautiful did not mean weak. Because Ally, as beautiful as she was, was the strongest person he knew. He'd ever know. And she was right. He didn't need to protect her anymore, because she could take care of herself. With this realization came a wash of stunning pride.

Ally was strong. There was no denying it now. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it earlier.

Who ever said beauty had to be delicate?

**So. what did you think? I know Ally would NEVER say anything like that, she's too sweet and nice, but I just couldn't help myself XD. I just think a tough Ally would be so awesome.**

**Again, sorry for being so late! I've just been super busy lately! Hopefully it won't take me as long to update again, since I already have a pretty good idea.**


	5. Engagement

**Hey there, people! Here's another update for you all!**

**I know this is late AGAIN, but it's just because I've been really busy. I think I may need to change the rules a little bit. I know I told you I'd try to update once a week, but I'm going to have to take that back. Trust me, I'm still going to update, but just less often. My life has just been so busy lately, you wouldn't believe...**

**Anyway, I made this chapter extra long to make up for the lateness. It's almost 5,000 words! Hope you enjoy! The word is... engagement. I'm proud of this, so I think you guys will like it :D. **

* * *

_**Engagement  
**_

He stared down at the black box in his hand. It was so small, so confined, so limited. Basic and unextraordinary in almost every single way. He could barely believe that something like _that_ could hold the key to his entire future. Hold the key to his happiness.

He had tried hard to keep it in his pocket, out of sight and out of mind, but he simply couldn't help himself. He feared that if he so much as released his grip on it for a mere second, it would disappear into thin air. Just gone. He could not risk that. Not for something as important as this.

He let the box twist in his hand. His thumb caressed the firmness of the leather, rubbing back and forth as if he were petting some sort of strange little animal. He knew he shouldn't be so nervous, of course she would say yes, but he simply couldn't help himself. He should have expected it. This sort of decision always came with anxiousness, he supposed.

As he sat there, fidgeting in the back seat of a limo as the driver worked to pick up his girlfriend of five years, Austin tried to take deep breathes to calm his shaking nerve. Tonight was the night. The night he'd been waiting for practically his entire life. He'd take Ally—the mere image of beauty and perfection that he had somehow been lucky enough to make his own—and show her the time of her life. They'd go to the fanciest, most expensive restaurant in town, and right in the middle of the most wonderful night of their lives, he'd go down on one knee and do it. He'd propose. After she got over the initial shock, he'd say a few prepared words about how much he loved her, she'd scream yes and jump into his arms, and they'd live happily ever after. That was how it would work. He knew it would. It had to happen that way.

Shocking him out of his trance, the limo suddenly screeched to a stop.

"Here," the driver said, turning around to look at Austin, "Shall I open the door for her when you get back?"

"No," replied Austin, after a moment of thought, "Let me do it, I'll look like a gentleman."

The man nodded, and Austin slowly got out of the car. Tonight, he was wearing his absolute best tuxedo, and its color of deep, rich black nearly blended in with the darkness surrounding. He opened his mouth and allowed a flood of fresh oxygen to enter his lungs. He needed to be alert. This was to be the most important night of his life, and he just couldn't mess it up.

Slipping the black box back into his pocket, Austin slowly sauntered up to Ally's porch, holding a traditional bouquet of red roses. She'd call it cheesy, he knew she would, but she would also love it. The girl was an all out hopeless romantic.

As he brought his fist to knock on the wood of Ally's door, he held the flowers tight in his fist, until his knuckles turned white. It took him three loud taps before the door finally swung open, but only a crack.

"Hey, Austin," the familiar brunette said as she peeped out of the doorway, a smile stretched across her face, "Do you mind giving me a minute? I'm not quite ready yet."

He nodded quickly, and the girl looked gratefully towards him.

"Take your time," he said kindly, nodding at her, "I'll be waiting by the curb."

His heart heaving with nervous anticipation, Austin climbed off Ally's porch. Her house was one of many on a city street, and so he stood politely on the sidewalk, staring off at her door and ready for it to open at any second. In a sort of bored anticipation, he pulled out the black box again. Then he stared at it. He nearly tried to see through it. But no use, it was as solid as ever.

Suddenly, listening to the soothing sounds of cars rushing by and wind blowing leaves across granite, Austin couldn't help the unexpected leap of instinct that grabbed a hold of his sanity.

_Just a little peek._

The voice inside his brain was soft, yet defined, and Austin's eyes widened even more. The box. He needed to open it just one more time before his date with Ally. Just to make sure the ring was still in there, hadn't fallen out. There was no harm in doing that, right?

With his own words reassuring him, the boy did not hesitate to lift the dark, heavy lid of the box. And underneath the blanket of blackness, lay a heart of shining diamond. Just what he expected.

The ring was beautiful. He had made complete sure of that when he bought it. The cut of the gem was the most elegant one he could find, and the band was wound in the most intricate manner. He was sure it would look absolutely ravishing on Ally's dainty little finger. The diamond itself was the largest size available, and had been incredibly, unbelievably expensive. But of course, it was worth it. He only wanted the best for his soon-to-be-wife, after all. Nothing less.

Standing there, gazing at the glittering creature within his grasp, the worst possible thing that could have ever happened to the boy, happened. A rude passerby, probably some man on his way home from the office, bumped into him. Pushed him, more like it. On any other day, this would have barely phased Austin. But not today, not now. This sudden force on his backside, being so unexpected, caused him to tip over. And the ring, the beautiful, one-of-a-kind ring, fell from its protector. It hit the ground, bounced twice, rolled on the concrete, and then danced right into the entrance of a sewer grate. It took all his might not to faint as he watched his future fall to its demise.

"NO!"

Everything moved in slow motion as Austin rushed to the sewer grate, even his voice sounding strange. The flowers fell from his hand, lying lifelessly on the concrete. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be. He had spent THOUSANDS on that ring. Personalized it specifically for the girl he loved. There's no way it was gone. No way.

When he reached the hole his treasure had slipped through, Austin threw himself onto his knees. He didn't care that we was wearing the fanciest tuxedo money could buy, and that the puddles on the ground were most certainly staining it. He simply didn't care. All that mattered was the ring. The ring that had just plummeted into the darkest, dirtiest place a human being could imagine.

Austin gazed through the grate hole, but he saw nothing. He stuck his hand in and reached for something, anything, to pull back out again. But nothing. It was simply too deep. He was done for. It was over.

It was then, as he sat on the dirty granite, his heart pounding in his chest and his breathing fast and uncontrollable, that Ally finally decided to finish getting dressed. He didn't even hear her door swing open. Or her footsteps as she walked towards him, her high heels clicking against the pavement. It was only when she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder that he realized she was there.

"Austin?" she asked, confused, "What are you doing?"

Austin's eyes went wide with fear. She looked absolutely beautiful tonight, she really did, with a lovely blue dress cascading down her body and her hair tied up in a complex knot behind her head. In any other circumstance, he would have been in awe. But tonight, he was simply far too shocked to care. All he could think about was the ring. He knew he couldn't tell her what had just happened. Not only would it ruin the surprise, but she would be devastated.

"Erm…" he began sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Nothing. I just… thought I saw a rat down there. Never mind, though, it ran off."

At this, Ally rolled her eyes and let out a short, pleasant laugh.

"You ruined your tuxedo for a rat?" she asked in disbelief, hiding her amusement with a false tone of disapproval, "What am I going to do with you Austin Monica Moon…"

He could tell by the way she was jokingly shaking her finger at him that she was only teasing, and a part of him became at least a little bit less freaked out. At least she didn't suspect anything. That was always good.

Hand in hand, Austin escorted Ally to the limo, opening the door for her and then scooting right in. At the last minute, he remembered the flowers, grabbing them from the concrete and handing them to Ally, who blushed and rolled her eyes as though he hadn't done this a million times before. During the entire trip to the restaurant, his head was spinning. How could he have lost the ring? And how the heck was he going to propose to her without it? He just didn't know, he didn't know. He desperately hoped that Ally didn't feel the sweatiness of his palms.

Once they got to their destination, Ally let out a shriek of joy.

"Oh my gosh, Austin!" she yelled, gripping onto his hand as the restaurant came into sight, "This is the fanciest place in town! I can't believe you're taking me here!"

He smiled at her, trying to sooth his riled nerve. "Anything for you, Ally," he said slowly, biting his tongue to keep from letting his secret spill out, "You know I love you."

Ally flushed and kissed his cheek. "Love you too, babe," she replied. As soon as the limo slowed to a stop, she grabbed his hand and nearly dragged him out, desperate to get in as soon as possible. It took him a moment to regain his balance, but when he did, he walked in proudly beside her. The line to check in was long, but to him, the longer the better. He needed all the time he could get to think up a new way to propose.

It took a good fifteen minutes before the two reached the check-in stand, and when they did, Ally was nearly bursting with excitement.

"Last name, please," a woman holding a clipboard said when he told her he had a reservation. She had gray, stringy hair and stern eyes, her entire body draped in a signature black uniform. She looked like someone he really wouldn't want to cross.

"Moon," replied Austin coolly, "Austin Moon."

The woman's head bobbed down, her eyes scanning the papers in her hand. She flipped through three pages, went back, and flipped through them again. After a mere minute, she raised her head, and with unforgiving eyes said the words that Austin had not dreamed he'd ever hear in a million years.

"I'm sorry, but there's no reservations under the name Moon." She didn't look very sorry.

Time seemed to stop. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening.

"Could you check again?" Austin asked, his heart beating like a hummingbird, "I'm sure its there, you must have missed it."

The woman only glared. "I missed nothing. You do not have a reservation, so you must leave."

"What!?" Austin nearly screamed, his eyes growing wide and frantic, "T-there has to be! I made a reservation! I know I did!"

Beside him, he could feel Ally tense. She was worried, too.

"Sorry," the woman repeated, in a slow, monotonous drawl, "You have no reservation, I will not say it again. Please leave before I have to call security."

"NO!" Austin yelled, "This can't be! You're wrong, I know—,"

Suddenly, he felt someone squeeze his hand. He turned his head and saw Ally, staring at him with wide, sad eyes. She shook her head at him, and immediately his heart fell. _Give_ _it up_, her expression told him, _it's over_. Austin released a sigh that shook his entire being, and then he nodded. Slowly, hand in hand, the two walked out.

"I can't believe they lost my reservation…" Austin muttered once they were out in the cold, October air, plopping himself down on a wire bench and looking down at his knees in defeat.

"Oh… it's not so bad," Ally said, patting his shoulder and trying to make him feel a little better. Despite her good intentions, Austin knew that she was disappointed. He could hear it in her voice, practically feel it in the air. She looked down at him, pity in her eyes, and immediately he felt ashamed. Tonight was supposed to be the best night of their young lives, and now it was ruined. Completely and utterly ruined. What had he done?

After a full five minutes of tense, depressed silence, Ally finally spoke up.

"Hey… why don't we go to another restaurant, huh? I mean, there are plenty of places around here! We shouldn't just let one stuck-up waitress ruin our night!"

Austin only shook his head. "Ally," he began sadly, "Every other restaurant within a five-mile radius from here requires a reservation, you know that. Our limo driver isn't coming back until 8:00, and there's no way you can walk that long in heels."

At these words of discouragement, Ally looked around, an air of desperation in her eyes. When she caught sight of a large, red building across the street, her entire face brightened.

"Oh, what about over there!" she said proudly, her cheerful voice breaking out in the thick, gloomy air. Austin looked up.

"That place?" he asked, confused and disgusted, "That's the Fun Barrel. It's a restaurant for little kids, Ally! They even have an arcade there! We can't go on our date in a place like that…"

Ally bit her lip, shrugging. "Well, why not?" she asked, "It has food, doesn't it? I mean, I agree it may be a little bit… childish… but it's the only choice we have."

Austin just continued sitting on the bench, unsure. His blood was still running cold throughout his body, a symptom of complete and utter terror.

"Let's just go, Austin," Ally finally said, taking him by the hand and pulling him to his feet, "It'll be fun, I promise." She wasn't so sure she could fulfill this promise, but she said it anyway.

At this, the two of them began to cross the street. Ally took long, excited (if slightly nervous) steps, her heels clicking methodically against the pavement. Besides her, Austin walked as unmotivated as a zombie, his heart beating in a sad, empty rhythm. Neither knew of what was to come inside the infamous 'Fun Barrel,' but one thing was for sure. Both would end up pleasantly surprised.

As they stepped in, the restaurant's atmosphere hit them like a ton of bricks. For starters, each wall was painted a bright, striking color, making the place a hurricane of reds, blues, yellows, greens, and purples. Tables were spread out all over the place with cheap, childish benches, and waiters walked around wearing silly costumes. To the right was a large, cheerful ball pit. To the left was the arcade, complete with an array of beeping, blinking machines. With all this, Ally couldn't help to admit that the 'Fun Barrel' was quite the sight. And not in a good way.

Suddenly, as they entered, the couple began to feel very out of place. Not only were they mature, sophisticated adults without a child in sight, but they were wearing the fanciest, most expensive outfits available. Nobody, it seemed, could take their eyes off them.

"Ally…" Austin hissed under his teeth, "I don't think this is such a good idea…"

"It'll be fine," she replied, now unsure herself, "You'll see. Everything will be fine."

After they were seated, the two looked over the menu. It wasn't really what most would call 'quality' food, but it was food nonetheless.

After five minutes, a woman wearing phony mouse ears walked over to them.

"Can I take your order?" she said cheerily, trying to hide her surprise and distaste at their expensive outfits.

"Um… I'll have a bacon burger," said Austin, refusing to look her in the eyes due to his overwhelming shame.

"And to drink?"

"Erm… a Dr. Pepper."

The woman turned to Ally.

"And you, miss?"

"I'll have a lemonade and… do you have any salads?"

The waitress shook her head.

"Okay, then I'll have a personal pizza.'

She nodded, smiled, and then walked away, an attachable mouse-tail trailing behind her.

When the food came, the two ate in silence. Neither could look up, not to mention actually speak to each other. It was as if their entire night had just come crumbling down, trapping them beneath the rubble. It was a nightmare. What were they going to do?

After the meal, Ally finally grew brave enough to speak up. She decided, right then and there, to do something totally and completely unlike her. But boy, was she glad she did.

"Hey… Austin," she said hesitantly, biting the inside of her cheek, "Our meals each came with ten free tokens. Do you maybe want to go to the arcade? Just for fun…"

At this, the boy looked up at her. It was not at all like Ally to suggest doing something as childish as play arcade games—in fact, it seemed like something he would do—but the look of desperation in her eyes was enough to make his questions sizzle and burn in his mouth.

"Sure," he said, a smile beginning to curve at the ends of his mouth, "Let's go play at the arcade."

They stayed there for two hours. Two, complete hours. What started at ten tokens turned to twenty, then fifty, then a hundred as Austin's credit card swiped again and again. They just couldn't stop. Being childish was surprisingly fun.

It all started with a quick game of packman. Austin played first, then Ally right after, beating his score by a mere ten points. Of course, he HAD to reserve his pride, so he played again until he beat her out. Before they knew it, they were in a full-blown packman war. It was hilariously immature, but both loved it.

The way Ally had laughed during that game, so sweet and melodious, her eyes shining like stars in the darkest of nights, was something Austin knew he would never forget. Her smile was stretched so wide and beautifully across her face, mirroring his own, and all he could think about was how much he loved her. How much he knew they were meant to be together.

Once they got sick of packman, the two of them jumped from one game to another. Austin tested his luck with a ticket wheel, while Ally completely failed at a rousing game of Whack A Mole. After sucking down his fourth can of soda of the night, Austin felt almost as if the entire room was spinning. Everyone was staring at the two weird adults playing in the arcade, but he simply didn't care. He had Ally, and she was all he ever needed. He knew that for sure.

It was around that two-hour mark that Ally finally slowed down, out of breath.

"Wow," she said with a smile, huffing out tufts of air, "That was better than I expected."

Austin nodded, unable to say anything else due to his own exhaustion.

"I have to go the lady's room," Ally said, suddenly crossing her legs, "Do you mind waiting for me here? I'll be back in a second."

"Sure," the boy replied, chuckling at the cute way she jittered as she held in her bladder, "I'll be right here."

Ally smiled and then walked towards the bathrooms. Austin watched her the whole way. He just couldn't get enough of the way her hips swayed from side to side, side to side… It was hypnotizing.

When she was gone, Austin allowed himself the pleasure of looking around. He gazed half-heartedly at all the beeping, bopping machines surrounding him, watching the little kids run around like maniacs. He must have seemed like a real creeper standing around in a child's arcade, but at the moment, he really didn't care.

It was then, yawning and tapping his foot as he waited for his dearest to reappear with an empty bladder, that he saw it. Standing there as though it were nothing, when he knew that it was much, much more. A claw machine. When Austin had been a mere child himself, those had been his favorite machines of all. He never won one, of course, but he always knew that someday he could do it… Unable to stop himself, Austin strutted over to it, a half-smile stuck to his face like gum.

The first thing the boy looked at was the stick, or the lever, whatever it was called. It sat right in the front of the machine, ready for his hands to grab. This was what was used to move the claw. He looked up, into the glass box, and immediately he saw the claw, as well. It hung lifelessly on the ceiling of the box, dangling as it reflected the light poring in. If he put in just one token, he knew that he could bring it back to life. Then he could get the prize.

The prize, that was always the most important part of the machine. The real objective. Austin let his eyes fall down to the bottom of the box, where all the stuffed animals were just waiting to be won. What he saw, however, made his heart stop.

Among a parade of plush, purple octopuses and poorly-stitched dolls with glass eyes, was a large, stuffed diamond ring.

A diamond ring. Just like the one he had lost. Just like the one he had been planning to use to propose to Ally…

He didn't even think about it. In a moment, a token had been deposited in the machine, and his hand was clammy against the stick. He was going to win it. He was going to win it. There was no other way.

Positioning the metal claw right above the ring, Austin pressed a big red button and watched as the claw slowly began to move downwards.

"Come on," Austin hissed to himself as he watched it descend, "Come on…"

Unfortunately, when it closed, the claw caught nothing. Austin groaned. He moved it too much to the left. Quickly, he threw in another token and tried again. Still, no go. This time it was too far back. He really needed to do a better job at this.

The third time he tried, Austin made sure to leave the stick periodically and check through the side of the glass box, giving himself a side-view. When he was absolutely POSITIVE he had his claw in the right spot, Austin finally dared to push the button. He watched with wide eyes as it descended downwards. His mouth fell open when the claw landed exactly on the handle of the ring. He nearly screamed with joy when the claw closed around it, beginning to rise up. It was heading towards the drop box, where the prize would be deposited and given to him. He was almost there, almost there! He was going to win this! He just knew it!

And then…

Plop.

The ring—the beautiful, perfect ring—slid right back down, it's fall cushioned by a load of stuffed animals. The claw, slick from grease and with absolutely no grips, could not hold on to it. Austin's stomach felt hot. His heart fell.

What was he thinking? He knew perfectly well that these machines were all scammed. They were made, specifically, so that no one would EVER win them. Why did he think that he could beat the odds?

In sheer melancholy, Austin slid down to the floor. He leaned his back against the machine, looking upwards into nothingness. Stupid claw. Stupid, unfair, cheating claw. What on earth was he thinking?

Out of defeat, Austin stuffed his hands inside his pockets. It was only then that he felt the slick, cool metal of his token. His last token. He pulled it out and looked at it, turning it around and around in his fingers. Well… if he only had one left, he might as well try again. He wouldn't win, he knew he wouldn't, but what else was there to do with it?

As Austin got up, he pressed the token into the coin clot, watching the machine ding to life. Using the same strategy he used before, he got the claw right above the ring, and then pressed the button. It grabbed the prize the same as before, but Austin wouldn't let himself get his hopes up. He would only be disappointed.

It's not going to make it, he said to himself over and over again, It'll never make it.

Still, he couldn't help the chant that arose from his lips, spilling out his desperation for all to hear.

"Please, don't drop it. Please please please don't drop it." It was stupid to say that, he knew, but he simply couldn't stop himself.

It was then, right in the middle of the most important game of his life, that he heard a familiar voice ring out behind him.

"Austin?" Ally called, clearly back from the bathroom, "Where are you?"

Austin's heart stopped in his chest. His chants got faster and faster on his lips, quieter than the pitter patter of rain.

"Oh, there you are!" she said, a few yards away, "Why are you over by the claw machine?"

He heard her footsteps banging out behind him. She was getting closer and closer, and so was the claw. If this was going to happen, it needed to happen NOW.

Austin was on the verge of having a full-blown panic attack. With Ally's footsteps behind him, and the click of the machine in front, he felt as if there wasn't an inch of silence on the Earth. It was terrifying.

And then…

PLOP.

For a moment, Austin's heart fell. But then he realized something. The ring hadn't fallen into the stuffed animals, like before. By some miracle, it had reached the drop box. The prize was won.

He could hear Ally's breathes behind him now, full and clear and steady. His own hands reached desperately into the prize compartment, feeling around for what he earned. When his skin touched the soft fabric, his fingers closed around it, and he immediately pulled it out.

"Austin?" Ally asked, now standing right behind him, "What on earth are you doing?"

That was when he turned around. It was time, he knew it. Already on one-knee, he looked up at her hopefully, and he listened with amusement as he heard her omit a soft, surprised gasp. She saw the ring, so she knew what was happening.

"Ally," Austin began, a glint in his eye as he held up the ring for all to see, "I love you… more than I can even understand. You mean absolutely everything to me. You always have and you always will. I know how cheesy this sounds, but I can't imagine ever living my life without you. You make every day a beautiful day, and… well, I think you get what I'm trying to say. I promise I'll get you a real ring really soon, but I couldn't wait any longer. Ally, I just really, really love you. Will you marry me?"

He had barely even finished muttering that last sentence when Ally jumped him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, he heard her whisper over and over again…

"Yes, Austin, Yes." Yes. It was the most beautiful word he'd ever heard.

As they sat there, Ally's tears of joy stinging the back of his neck, the entire restaurant around them erupted in cheers. In a moment, a surge of joy exploded in Austin's chest.

This had to be the absolute best engagement of all time. He was sure of it.


End file.
